Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-09

up like new.
VERY COMMON.
Secondhand book stores are very com.
/ mon, and the biggest one, In Chambers
! street, il where the literary men, editors,
and teachers 20 10 add to their hbrarie, at
the least cost. Along the East.river front
are stores for the sale OF secondhand am
! chors, chains, comprises, masts; In fact,
whole ships in pieces. There are dozen
places for the sale OF secondhand wooden,
brick, and stone purses by piecemeal. or
| secondhand gun. sword, cannon-ball, and
bayonet stores there are sey eral. Ga Second
avenue, Just before Christmas, | found a
tOy.dealer who called himself the "sec)nd-
hand Santa Claus" lie had sent 10 the
houses OF the rich, bought up the discarded
toys OF the previous Christmas, mended
and painted them, and was Offering them
at prices suited 10 poor houses. But why
enpmcra'e since the list - as long as the
wants OF man are numerous!
over IN Cannon street quaint German
acquaintance OF mine does a thriving BUSH
ness In secondhand food. No, Pm not
piling Il on. I'm not beginning the new
year with fairy stories. lie supplies a
whole neighborhood with secondhand
susteDaDce at the rate OF about IS cents q
UaiI tnhHtis OF ~ ttUib Dttts
"What yer gotY" says the first one In
the long line OF little girls and old and
young wives that form at his basement
door hslf an hour after his wagon drives
up, TO buy the next days meals.
{" Boast turkey, Wild duck, sucking pig,
gume pie, roast pork. cold meats, plum.
pudding, mince pie, bread and vegetables"
SAYS the man, running his eye over the
| oil ~ v " Ian Ia
dumped belter.skelter on a great table. He
buys the leayings Of the tables Of the big
gest hotels, and yeu would be amazed to
see what wholesome and preseutable food
Is thus thrown away. After this, when
you come 10 town, II you stop at Broad
way hotel you may cease TO regard even
your hash with suspicion, for II is certain
that the leavings Of Yesterday are not
worked over to serve for to-day. Person
ally am proud to find il out. II is some.
thing to remove the obloquy Of centuries
from hash.
THE ACTORS STRUT.
A lot Of men were talking the other day
| about the tendency OF actors, and particu-
! larly OF tragedians, 10 pose and appear
constantly on parade when in public.
| Everybody is familiar with the scOwling
| brow, the stilted walk, and ponderous
men Of little Lawrence Barrett when he
/ takes bis daily stroll about through the
highways and byways Of the town, and
the melancholy aud lingering stride Of Ed
win Booth is known TO hundreds Of thou
sands OF people in America. Precisely
why actors should carry themselves
IN such an absurd and unnatural
manner simply because they have chosen
tragedy as means OF earning their
living is not clear, but that they sir all on
parade Is unquestiOuably true. shall never
forget the effect produced upon Broadway
by the simultaneous appearance on the
sidewalk one day OF both Barrett and
Booth, arm in arm, clad from neck TO toe
In heavy ulsters, shOd in big rubber over
shoes, topped with heavy fur caps. and
with big handkerchefs wound around
their necks. They stalked down the mid.
die OF the sidewalk with stlfi.le9ged and
jerky pompOsity, wrapped in impenetrable
gloom, staring straight ahead, and passing
comedians, walking gentlemen. and supers
as mOnarchs might take their way through
a horde OF cringing vassals. A few OF the
people who did not recognize the celebri-
ines at once laughed outright at the specta-
Gle Of the two understood and muffled little
men putting on such airs as did Americas
TWO most famous tragedians That afternoon
on Broadway.
INSTINCT.
"The instinct OF pose and parade" said
one OF the men TO whom this incident was
Telsted. "ailict the best OF them. | am
fond Of the theatre, you know, and have
very large acquaintance with actors, not
only in New York and London. but in
Paris, Berlin, and Vienna, and have
found that it is the tragedlans who always
pose. | know no more genial man or
frank and cordial gentleman than Wilson
Barrett, and vet | saw him exhibit himself
once in way that made me wonder for
ten days what the influence is that causes
man to make a peacock OF himself
simply because bis efforts are directed
towards the heavier walks OF the drama.
when | came over from London last fall
Barrett was on the same steamer. The
usual entertainment for the benefit OF the
Seamen's Home was PIT In the hands OF
young Englisbmar on board, and when he
was making up the prOcramme-therew were
many professional people on board-he went
to Barrett and asked him IL he could de-
pend upOn him for a recitation or n bit OF
talk OF some sort. Barrett agreed to aid
the entertainment and said that he would
recite q little poem about black
smith. When the entertainment was
about half through, the manager sud
denly remembered that Barrett was missing,
and leaving the saloon he hurried around
looking for the missing tragedian. After
rushing about the deck, glancing into the
smOking-rOom and the captains cabin, the
manager finally found his way to Barretps
siaterOom and discovered the eye OF the
az NFnn y
opened door.
ais everything readyf" asked Barrett
in stage whisper.
"Eh,' said The other, everything is
ready enough. All you have TO do Is to
step up and speak your little piece, you
know"
Barrett threw open the door, dashed
through the throng of passengers in the
saloon, spraDg upon the stage, and stood
revealed in the costume OF the brawny and
theatrical blacksmith. His hair was ar
ranged IN studied disorder, his legs clad in
corduroys, his muscular arms barred to the
shoulders, and his leather shirt thrown
omen at the neck so as TO show vast
expanse of athletic chest. As il was
gray and drizZling day, and the snip was
pitching about on a heavy swell, the effect
was not inspiring, for there were no foot
lights and caclums TO help the makeup OF
the actor, and the pitching OF the snip
caused him 10 stagger about like drunken
reVeller on the icy walk at midnight. The
recitation was, Of course, failure, as
every bOOy laughed at the efforts OF the
blacksmith to keep on his sturdy pins, and
there was no end Of guying going on all
the time.
stli they win do 1t, you know.
THE GOSSIP OF SOCIETY.
Everybody in society is talking OF the
dance which Mrs. Marshall o. Roberts has
planned for the end Of the month. Mrs.
Roberts belongs to that very old family the
Endcoits OF Salem. The late Mr.. Roberts
rose from the industrial ranks. He prided
himself on his house on Filth ave-ue aud
on bis art gallery. He used to say to the
artists "You see that space on the wall.
Go to work and ill it," His widow, who,
curiously enough, met him on the steamer
on which he was bringing his first wife's
body from Europe, went to London last
spring, took furnished house, and made
something OF mark in English society.
She is an exceedingly gOod'looking woman,
and having a very large Is able to set
the tone TO good many "sets " IN our CON-
pick society.
The reception OF the week was given by
General Buttertleld and his wife, who was
Mrs. +. Y. James. They are both seXa-
eenarains and nobody has forgotten their
marriage in Westminster Abbey, wher"
tho Count ~ Paris was nregpnt and canon